13 The Marble
by Shenice
Summary: Nancy holds on to a secret marble that has the ability to unlock doors. An unfortunate set of circumstances has led the marble to be in her mouth, and she needs to pass it to Frank while remaining undercover. What kind of fluff have these detectives landed into this time? Read on to find out!


_This was an idea I had from a story that has been floating around my mind for a while. Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys are exploring a bed and breakfast for a missing artifact at a local museum. They have reason to suspect Elijah, the bed and breakfast manager, is behind the theft as he is an eccentric local who has an eye for the unusual. Ultimately, this turns into unexpected fluff between my two favorite detectives. Please review! xx_

"Nan, check it out!" Joe gasped in awe. The artwork he was admiring in the hotel manager's office swiveled to the side, revealing a group of small glass spheres set in the wall.

Nancy put down the papers she had been rifling through at the desk and inspected the odd arrangement Joe had found. "Interesting. They resemble marbles and seem to be in a pattern. I wonder if the order they are placed in the wall is significant."

"Well, only one way to find out." Joe reached for one of the marbles, only for Nancy to slap his hand away.

"Not so fast! They seem to be radiating heat." Nancy brought her hand close to one of the orange marble shapes, feeling the change in the temperature against fingertips. "It feels like a cup of coffee."

Joe moved his face closer, squinting to inspect each marble. "Hey, notice how this one here looks different? The shape and color are a little off, almost like it doesn't belong. It also doesn't feel as warm as the others." Joe quickly grazed a finger against, noting its heat. "It's not unbearably hot either, I just wouldn't want to touch it for too long." Joe touched the marble again, watching it roll into the wall. A small clicking noise occurred behind them.

Nancy glanced to the door behind her, noticing it was now locked. "Wow, looks like we found an elaborate locking system!"

"Hey, what's all this 'we' talk? It was my brilliant idea to check behind the artwork." Joe smirked.

Nancy rolled her eyes. "You get full credit, Joe. Now what I'm thinking is the marble that looks out of place can be moved to different locations."

"What would be the point of that?"

"It could be a master key of sorts. Remember that small door we found in the attic earlier? It was missing a lock but was jammed shut. There was a painting beside it too, so maybe this locking system also works there too."

"That's a good call, Nan. Let's grab this marble and go find Frank."

With the worst timing, Nancy and Joe heard the hotel manager chatting to another person while walking towards his office.

"Quick, unlock the door!" Nancy hissed.

Joe moved the marble again to the sound of another click, unlocking the door. Joe reached for the marble, wincing at the heat it gave off in his hand. Ignoring his senses, he straightened the picture frame and ran after Nancy.

"This marble is too hot!" Joe involuntarily flinched, causing the marble to soar in the air. Nancy heard Elijah's voice approaching, causing her heart to sink. Without another thought, she looked up and quickly caught the hot marble in her mouth, concealing it on the side of her cheek. She bolted for the couch, quickly reaching for a magazine as the door opened.

"Yes, that sounds wonderful. I'm looking forward to it!" Elijah said into his phone, his face quickly turning into a frown at the sight of the two people in his office. "Talk soon." He hung up his phone. "What are you doing in my office?"

Nancy smiled, incapable of speaking without giving away the marble's hiding spot. Joe chimed in. "We were waiting here for you. Mary said we could let ourselves in."

"My receptionist let you sit here?" Elijah's voice was agitated and his eyes narrowed. "Well, that is unlike her and not common practice. I do not like anyone to be left in here without my knowledge, is that understood?"

"Mm-hm," was all Nancy could mutter. Joe had an idea.

"Yes, sir. We apologize for the misunderstanding. But we were just in here to let you know we are writers for The Traveler and wanted to give you our highest award for your wonderful bed and breakfast. It is not common practice for us to reveal our profession, but my coworker and I have been having the most wonderful time here and we wanted to commend you on such a tremendous job of making us feel so welcome."

Elijah's mood immediately shifted, his mouth agape. "Oh, my dear chap! I did not know, please forgive my earlier outburst! No wonder why Mary had let you in. You are far too kind. Please, this is cause for a whiskey celebration!"

Nancy glanced at Joe, hoping he knew how urgent it was for them to leave the room.

"Actually, sir, Nancy can't stay long. She is here for business and pleasure. This is her anniversary weekend and she was planning on meeting up with Frank now." Joe smiled, knowing perfectly well the blush arising on Nancy's cheeks was his doing.

"Oh my! Is Frank the other gentleman you arrived with? Well, that is wonderful news! I had a feeling you two had a very special connection. Please, dinner is on me this evening. It's the least I can do." Elijah pulled Nancy in for an eager hug while Nancy silently glared at Joe.

"Thank you, Elijah. If you will excuse me. I would like to let Frank know of our plans." Nancy escaped from Elijah's hold and bolted for the door, careful not to move the marble in her mouth. Before she could escape his office, she heard Elijah calling back at her.

"No need to rush, my dear! Frank was in the billiard room a few moments ago. Joe and I will join you there. We can also have a toast altogether!"

"Elijah, I don't think we should intrude. I'm sure Nancy and Frank would like some alone time."

"Nonsense, Joe! They will be alone soon enough for dinner. Come, let us celebrate with Frank!"

Nancy gave a worried glance to Joe, who shrugged at her. She didn't even have time to argue with him over his cover story. Why did he say that she was dating Frank? They both were in relationships with other people. Was it obvious that she had a connection with Frank? And if it were, what did that say about what kind of girlfriend she was to Ned?

Nancy did not have time to process her last thought. The marble in her mouth was beginning to be uncomfortable, and they were approaching the billiard room. The trio walked in, finding Frank at a side table buried in papers. He quickly noticed them and stood up, a quizzical expression on his face.

"My dear man! Happy anniversary!" Elijah chuckled as he brought Frank into a hug. Frank looked to Nancy, who had a "just-go-with-it" look and he decided to play along.

"Thanks, Elijah. I appreciate the warm welcome." Frank tentatively hugged back, wondering how the cover story was created.

"You and your lovely girlfriend Nancy will be having dinner at our restaurant this evening and it's on the house. It's the least I can do for two dear friends from The Traveler." Elijah beamed at Frank. Nancy kept her eyes planted on the ground.

"We wanted to congratulate Elijah on his fantastic bed and breakfast and let him know that the reason we have been here this week was to write our review on the place for The Traveler magazine. Since we love it so much, Nancy and I couldn't resist telling him early that he would be receiving our highest award." Joe looked to Frank, hoping he'd understand.

Frank smiled at Elijah. "Well, that is a very lovely offer, and Nancy and I will take you up on it. Thank you for the kind gesture. And your award is well deserved, we have been enjoying ourselves immensely." Frank quickly brought an arm around Nancy, pulling her close. Blushing, Nancy leaned into him.

"I am so happy to hear! Look at the two of you, such a lovely couple. We all came in here to celebrate with a drink, and I won't take no for an answer."

"Well then, let's enjoy that whiskey!" Joe exclaimed. He looked over at Nancy, who looked like she wanted to punch him. He smiled sweetly at her.

As Elijah poured the drinks, Frank whispered to Nancy. "Did you two find anything?"

Nancy looked at him in a way that signaled they had, but she was not speaking. He stared at her intently before she finally spoke.

"Yes…very…hot. Hold on to it."

Frank leaned in, noticing something in Nancy's mouth. Before he could react, Elijah joined them with glasses of whiskey. "Now, now, Frank. Don't be shy, you can kiss your girlfriend in front of me. This is a day of celebration."

Nancy blushed, quickly shaking her head no. Joe chimed in. "They're not really the PDA type, Elijah."

"But it's their anniversary! And my friends from The Traveler do not travel to the most romantic bed and breakfast in the world simply to engage in polite conversation. Now kiss the girl so we can toast our whiskey!"

Frank knew there was no way out of the situation they had found themselves in. As important as it was to remain calm, he could not ignore the alarms ringing in his head. He turned to face Nancy, noticing her faint blush before bringing his lips gently to hers. The kiss was over soon after it began. He quickly hugged Nancy to his chest, smiling at Elijah.

"Now I don't know where you're from, but you're in my house now, and that is not how a couple in love kiss. It's your anniversary! What kind of nonsense is that? Right, Joe?" Elijah chuckled as he nudged Joe. Joe looked at Frank and Nancy with a nervous stare as he let out a forced laugh.

"Yeah, guys. The sooner you get this over with the sooner you can be alone at dinner." Joe knew it was an awkward situation, but he hoped they would take the hint and get it over with already.

The pain in Nancy's mouth was unbearable. She knew what she had to do. Without notice, she cupped Frank's face between her hands and pulled his mouth hard against hers for a bruising kiss. She knew she had to pass him the marble. Before she could worry that Frank would recoil, she felt him fully reciprocate, causing her to mold against him. His arms tightly wound against Nancy, bringing her fully in his grasp. The kiss lasted longer than necessary, and Nancy slowly pulled away, knowing the earth fully well had moved. Frank was blushing profusely while working on keeping the newly-placed marble hidden in his mouth.

"Atta, girl. Now that's a kiss!" Elijah laughed.

Nancy cleared her throat, stifling a nervous laugh. "I think I'd like that toast now, Elijah." She quickly grabbed the drink from Elijah's hand.

"Ah, yes. To my dear friends at The Traveler. Whether it be for business or pleasure –" he winked at Nancy and Frank, "you are always welcome at my bed and breakfast. Cheers!"

Frank brought his glass to his lips, careful not to take a sip. Joe chuckled and shook his head, taking in the drink. Nancy had a massive gulp while carefully avoiding Frank's gaze.

"Now, I will get out of your hair. I'm going to make your reservations for 7. Take care, my dear friends!" With a smile and a wave, Elijah left the three detectives alone in the billiard room.

Within moments, Frank spit the marble out in his hand. "Do you think he saw?"

"Oh, I think he saw plenty."

"Shut it, Joe. What is this thing?"

"Joe and I were snooping in Elijah's office when Joe moved a painting, only to discover these marble shapes in the wall. The last one moved and caused the door to lock and unlock. It didn't look like the other marbles, so we think it could serve as a master key."

"That's an interesting thought. I wonder if it would work on that door in the attic. There was a painting right next to it, too."

"That's exactly what Nancy said. We were coming to find you when Elijah burst into his office. I had to come up with a cover story fast and uh…it looks like you both handled it quite well." Joe winked at Nancy and Frank, noticing they were both blushing deeply. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have an attic to explore." Joe grabbed the marble from Frank's hand.

"Hey, not so fast. We are coming with you!"

"I don't think so, brother. It's 6:30 and I believe the two of you have a dinner date in a half hour. Just go out for a bit and I will meet you back at the room. We don't want Elijah catching on to anything. It's better this way."

"Well we wouldn't have to separate if it weren't for your silly cover story!" Nancy retorted through gritted teeth.

"Well it worked, didn't it? And it didn't seem to be a problem from the little display you put on. Refresh my memory, how exactly did the marble get in Frank's mouth?"

"Alright, that's enough Joe. Take the marble and go. Nancy and I will meet you back at the room around 8:15."

"Works for me. Enjoy!" Joe trotted from the room, careful to store the marble in his pocket before heading out.

The air in the billiard room was heavy, and Nancy and Frank were hesitant to face one another.

"Frank, I –"

"Nancy –"

"You go first."

"No, please, go ahead."

Nancy let out a sigh. "I'm really sorry about that. The marble was really warm and I couldn't hold it in any longer."

"You don't have to apologize. You did what any good detective would do in that situation."

"Slip you some tongue?" Nancy replied sheepishly. 

Frank burst out laughing. He was always surprised how similar Nancy's humor was to Joe's. "Well, it worked, didn't it? I would have done the same thing," Frank murmured huskily.

Nancy blushed, bringing her hand to her face. She hoped her face wasn't as red as it felt. "I'm just glad you didn't pull away. I would have looked so foolish."

Frank smiled, gently removing her hand from her face and replacing it with his own. "I assure you, rejecting you was the furthest thing from my mind. It's not every day a beautiful detective slips you some tongue."

It was Nancy's turn to laugh. The tension had broken, and for that, she was grateful.

"Now, shall we celebrate our anniversary, darling?" Frank grinned, offering his arm to Nancy.

Nancy smiled, lacing her arm in his. "I'd like that, dear. Let's go."

The two detectives left together on their way to the unexpected dinner date.


End file.
